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Message
Trying To Sort Out Beef Prices Since DJT Wants to Import South American Beef
Posted on 11/18/25 at 6:28 am
Posted on 11/18/25 at 6:28 am
I hope there's some smart people that can jump in on this because I've been researching this and have got a headache. What got me going is some of the recent press where the US Ranchers aren't happy about the potential of importing beef from places in South America like Argentina and Brazil. The SecAG is saying the cattle supply in the US is at a long time low and really went after to packing houses as a key source for the price hikes.
Here's a few things I've discovered:
A typical US fed steer at auction in 2025 weighs around 1,350 pounds and sells for approximately $2,902.50, based on an average price of $215 per hundredweight. That's 2.15 per pound.
As of 2025, the average beef steer in Argentina sells for around $1,990 USD (1,100 lb). That;s about 1.80 lb
Brazil for about $1,490 USD, based on a 500 kg (1,100 lb) live weight animal. (1.35 lb)
I don't know how different the cattle is or how they're fed and raised but what I'm gathering is these packaging houses are operating like a syndicate or something.
I would be interested in seeing what some smarter folks about this subject chime in because when I see the coast of a US beef steer at a little over 2.00 per pound coast and see the scraps at 5 to 7 per pound before you get into the good cuts and there's a whopper of a markup going on and I can only hope Trump's team can get this under control.
Here's a few things I've discovered:
A typical US fed steer at auction in 2025 weighs around 1,350 pounds and sells for approximately $2,902.50, based on an average price of $215 per hundredweight. That's 2.15 per pound.
As of 2025, the average beef steer in Argentina sells for around $1,990 USD (1,100 lb). That;s about 1.80 lb
Brazil for about $1,490 USD, based on a 500 kg (1,100 lb) live weight animal. (1.35 lb)
I don't know how different the cattle is or how they're fed and raised but what I'm gathering is these packaging houses are operating like a syndicate or something.
I would be interested in seeing what some smarter folks about this subject chime in because when I see the coast of a US beef steer at a little over 2.00 per pound coast and see the scraps at 5 to 7 per pound before you get into the good cuts and there's a whopper of a markup going on and I can only hope Trump's team can get this under control.
This post was edited on 11/18/25 at 6:30 am
20
Posted on 11/18/25 at 6:49 am to CU_Tigers4life
US beef is only looking out for it's bottom line and importing Argentine beef takes away their ability to control the market. Same goes for any food product. I have no reason to be upset with bringing in beef until US stocks are rebuilt. Argentine beef is good, and it's not like we're bringing in shite fish from Asia with all its quality issues.
BTW, eliminate the ability of China to control US food companies
BTW, eliminate the ability of China to control US food companies
Posted on 11/18/25 at 6:56 am to CU_Tigers4life
I mean, everyone loves those shrimp and catfish imported from Indonesia and Vietnam so it should be just the same right!
Oh wait…beef doesn’t have label of origin laws sooo…
Four companies (three of them owned outside the US) control the beef prices not the supply. They want to import inferior cattle from other countries at a lot lower prices and sell it to you at US beef prices. It’s really not that hard to understand
Oh wait…beef doesn’t have label of origin laws sooo…
Four companies (three of them owned outside the US) control the beef prices not the supply. They want to import inferior cattle from other countries at a lot lower prices and sell it to you at US beef prices. It’s really not that hard to understand
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:10 am to TechBullDawg
Eating beef from SA ranches may make a dent in availability but there is a world of difference in quality & taste. The SA cattle are a bit tougher less in taste
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:19 am to Lugnut
My inlaws raise registered superior Black Angus breeding bulls. Some they sell. Others they will lease out. These sell, typically, in the $25k - $40k range each. They raise their cows to drop bull calves, and if a calf is a heifer, they sell them after they're weaned, keeping only enough to replace any cows that are too old to be bred. They don't raise for slaughter outside of three or four for family freezers.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:25 am to CU_Tigers4life
quote:
I would be interested in seeing what some smarter folks about this subject chime in because when I see the coast of a US beef steer at a little over 2.00 per pound coast and see the scraps at 5 to 7 per pound before you get into the good cuts and there's a whopper of a markup going on and I can only hope Trump's team can get this under control.
Keep in mind that just over $2 per pound is for the whole cow, there's a lot of weight there that's not meat that gets processed out. Accounting for the yield of actual meat probably puts it closer to 3.00. Then the processor has to get paid. Then it goes to the distributor who gets a cut for distributing to grocers who then add their margin on. Keep in mind that it has to be transported between the various stops, which adds its own costs.
For reference, I buy my beef from a meat supplier who purchases direct from the processor. While ground beef has increased to $7 pound for 93% lean, he still sells it for $4.50.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:28 am to Lugnut
quote:
They want to import inferior cattle from other countries at a lot lower prices and sell it to you at US beef prices
Your basis for calling Argentinian beef inferior is what?
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:34 am to LemmyLives
The beef packing industry has formed a cartel where they fix prices. They are mostly global companies. They were even sued when they signed a bunch of ranchers to sell at auction price with the stipulation that they did not have to bring their cattle to auction.
After a year of this, the meat packers colluded to keep the auction price down and screwed all the ranchers.
Meat inspecting being a federal thing is also a huge cost. let the states regulate it. Bureaucracy is killing the ranchers.
After a year of this, the meat packers colluded to keep the auction price down and screwed all the ranchers.
Meat inspecting being a federal thing is also a huge cost. let the states regulate it. Bureaucracy is killing the ranchers.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:36 am to CU_Tigers4life
Boxed beef only down a little bit. LINK
Packers are importing cheap shite, labeling it “Product of the USA” and selling it at the same prices. PRIME and MCOOL will help but breaking up the packer cartel is what’s needed most.
And then there’s the issues of land and feed being so expensive here that makes it harder to raise cows for less. This is a topic where Trump doesn’t know what he’s doing and he’s been listening to bad advisors for too long on. Organization of Competitive Markets walked in last week and showed them how beef has disconnected from cattle.
Packers are importing cheap shite, labeling it “Product of the USA” and selling it at the same prices. PRIME and MCOOL will help but breaking up the packer cartel is what’s needed most.
And then there’s the issues of land and feed being so expensive here that makes it harder to raise cows for less. This is a topic where Trump doesn’t know what he’s doing and he’s been listening to bad advisors for too long on. Organization of Competitive Markets walked in last week and showed them how beef has disconnected from cattle.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:38 am to CU_Tigers4life
There is a lot that goes into it, but the most basic break down is the US packing industry has 4 players controlling to entire market and they act in unison. They conspire to keep live prices low and processed prices high.
It got worse a few years back when the cattlemen’s association and the packers association merged into one. Now ranchers are forced to pay into the scheme with every head sold and it all goes to empower the packing plants further. There have been multiple attempts to open independent packing plants and coop packing plants but the big 4 kill them. They are like a beef mafia.
It got worse a few years back when the cattlemen’s association and the packers association merged into one. Now ranchers are forced to pay into the scheme with every head sold and it all goes to empower the packing plants further. There have been multiple attempts to open independent packing plants and coop packing plants but the big 4 kill them. They are like a beef mafia.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:58 am to CU_Tigers4life
Argentinian Beef is pretty damn good.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:00 am to CU_Tigers4life
I don’t know about that but Rodizio Brazilian grill in Denver is good. Real good.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:01 am to Mid Iowa Tiger
quote:
There is a lot that goes into it, but the most basic break down is the US packing industry has 4 players controlling to entire market and they act in unison. They conspire to keep live prices low and processed prices high.
It got worse a few years back when the cattlemen’s association and the packers association merged into one. Now ranchers are forced to pay into the scheme with every head sold and it all goes to empower the packing plants further. There have been multiple attempts to open independent packing plants and coop packing plants but the big 4 kill them. They are like a beef mafia.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:02 am to CU_Tigers4life
The two beef farmers I know have always said the problem with the market is the packing companies.
If I had the freezer space or a group to go in with me to share the product, they both say you would get a cheaper process from butchering it local and buying it local. - Also they claim better quality.
But also, both say that there was a massive livestock kill by the government during Biden that has limited the number of beef cows in the US.
In their words this was the administration damaging the industry in favor of foreign interests and also partially under the guise of the lunatic global warming cult.
If I had the freezer space or a group to go in with me to share the product, they both say you would get a cheaper process from butchering it local and buying it local. - Also they claim better quality.
But also, both say that there was a massive livestock kill by the government during Biden that has limited the number of beef cows in the US.
In their words this was the administration damaging the industry in favor of foreign interests and also partially under the guise of the lunatic global warming cult.
This post was edited on 11/18/25 at 10:00 am
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:03 am to CU_Tigers4life
Went to WalMart again yesterday. No price change from last week. Ribeye's still $19.97 for a 3 pack and the single grass fed's are $21.xx 
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:04 am to Big Wes
quote:
The beef packing industry has formed a cartel where they fix prices.
Isn't this pretty much any industry though? It's like when Pizza Hut or Domino's offer a $9.99 large pizza all the others pretty much have to follow suit.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:10 am to CU_Tigers4life
I want cheap energy. Full production winter nurseries to grow food year round. A hardened power grid.
Make the the costs to manufacture goods drop. Illegal labor is unnecessary.
No problem with healthy South American Beef.
Americans want cheaper food, rent, and utilities.
The Dems want massive suffering. They created the egg shortages. Trump fixed it by importing foreign birds.
Solutions are available but most people are too brainwashed by Dem politicians and the MSM to realize who the real enemy is.
Make the the costs to manufacture goods drop. Illegal labor is unnecessary.
No problem with healthy South American Beef.
Americans want cheaper food, rent, and utilities.
The Dems want massive suffering. They created the egg shortages. Trump fixed it by importing foreign birds.
Solutions are available but most people are too brainwashed by Dem politicians and the MSM to realize who the real enemy is.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:13 am to ldts
quote:
Keep in mind that just over $2 per pound is for the whole cow, there's a lot of weight there that's not meat that gets processed out. Accounting for the yield of actual meat probably puts it closer to 3.00. Then the processor has to get paid. Then it goes to the distributor who gets a cut for distributing to grocers who then add their margin on. Keep in mind that it has to be transported between the various stops, which adds its own costs.
For reference, I buy my beef from a meat supplier who purchases direct from the processor. While ground beef has increased to $7 pound for 93% lean, he still sells it for $4.50.
Keep in mind that virtually all of the steer is used and monetized—meat, fat, hide, bones, organs, even blood. Packers profit not only from beef cuts but also from by-products, so the real markup comes from consolidation and retail margins, not from waste. That’s why ground beef can sell for $6–7 a pound even when ranchers are paid closer to $2 on the live weight
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:23 am to LemmyLives
Anyone who calls Argentinian beef inferior hasn’t been paying attention. I would think if you’re not buying domestic beef Argentina would be the next best source. Beef is huge in Argentina.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 8:24 am to CU_Tigers4life
I know a rancher. And they sell beef. We have talked about this just a little. I will go more in depth with him later.
Ok.. here is what I remember.
- there are no laws that force producers to consumers to label where the meat is from.
- and due to that, its all sold under USDA.... so we all believe it to be USA beef.
- he seemed to indicate that they have little margins. This is due to the cost of raising them here. In other words, we will put ranchers under pressure because the beef is much cheaper from Argentina. And if I remember correctly, they can not get their cost down to those prices due to the cost of feed and all the things.
Based on that conversation, its a wide range of issues to be considered.
- feed cost is high
- meds are high
Nobody likes to depend on other nations. But we are not self sufficient herebin many ways.
We need to become self sufficient in every way possible.
Ok.. here is what I remember.
- there are no laws that force producers to consumers to label where the meat is from.
- and due to that, its all sold under USDA.... so we all believe it to be USA beef.
- he seemed to indicate that they have little margins. This is due to the cost of raising them here. In other words, we will put ranchers under pressure because the beef is much cheaper from Argentina. And if I remember correctly, they can not get their cost down to those prices due to the cost of feed and all the things.
Based on that conversation, its a wide range of issues to be considered.
- feed cost is high
- meds are high
Nobody likes to depend on other nations. But we are not self sufficient herebin many ways.
We need to become self sufficient in every way possible.
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